LE SYMPOSIUM INTERNATIONAL LE LIVRE. LA ROUMANIE. L ...

238 John nandriŞ
the Aromâni of the pindus, like the romanians to this day 4 , possess
an extensive knowledge of the plants and natural resources of their
environment, which is especially well-developed among the shepherds
and muleteers. the methodology of both these occupations was of huge
antiquity, emergent from prehistory. the first of them is represented in
the Minoan [late Minoan Ia] frescoes of thera c. 1600 BC 5 ; and the mule
trains controlled the distributive functions of trade from Vienna across to
Constantinople before the advent of the railways.
An experienced kiradji, such as the late Costas Tahikas of Samarina,
was so much more than merely a muleteer. he knew the by-ways of lowland
thessaly and the mountains of the pindus. he took complete charge as
dragoman of the well-being of any traveller entrusted to his care. like
any good shepherd he could give first aid to man and animal. he knew
where to find camp sites and food, as well as specific dangers or resources.
he would shape the splinters which form when a beech tree falls to make
kebab skewers en route 6 .
Costas knew where to locate boxwood 7 or ash; and cornelian cherry
[Cornus mas.], which is constant in Greek and other early european
neolithic plant assemblages. It is used for the shaft of the shepherd’s staff
throughout the highland zone of romania and Greece, being very hard and
flexible. Its elongated and bitter fruit is very high in pectin and can be used
for making preserves, or it may be distilled into an alcoholic drink. the
curved head of the Aromân crook or glitsa may be made of finely-carved
boxwood, for a best crook, for festivals; but this will shatter in daily use if
dropped on the rocks, so that the wood favoured for the ordinary glitsa is
ash. For its flexible properties ash is used to make wooden bell-collars for
sheep or goats; it is bent using heat and locked together with a special joint.
Giant pine trees, one to two metres in diameter, flourish high on
Smolikas, scattered across the parklands of the pastures. they have at least
so far escaped the exploitation which decimated the noble oak forests of
Dodona and the louros valley in the epirus. these were deforested in the
18 th and 19 th centuries, to supply the 3–5,000 oak trees needed to build
just one Ship-of-the-line for the British or French navies. the wind roars
4 The villagers of Breb in the Maramureş were making use of at least 435 species
of plant. [ANTAl, l., ANTAl, M., “Plantele conoscute şi utilizate de sâtenii din Breb”.
Marmaţia (sighetul Marmaţiei), 3 (1977): 268-76.]
5 lM Ia was until recently dated c. 1550–1500 BC; now probably c. 1675–1600 if
the explosion of the Santorini volcano is to be dated c. 1625 BC.
6 Beech trees when felled by lightning break into long splinters, which can easily be
shaped into spits of all sizes from kebabs up to whole lambs.
7 For delicate tough items such as spoons, spindles, etc.